Duplicity
by BelloftheSea
Summary: Duplicity n. 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double. TMNT. After so many years, could he still be the same brother they remember... or has he changed beyond all recognition? AU.
1. Till it's gone

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n_. 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

* * *

**AN.** No real summary here. The title (and its definition) is your only clue to this story. Use it well and get ready for some wild twist and turns. I'm looking for a beta for this story; someone friendly who will serve mostly to bounce ideas off of and to be there to nag me for updates. This person will also be privy to top secret information on this story (But not all the secrets). Send a PM stating why you would be good for this job and how I can contact you. Thanks! 

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Prologue**

_You don't know what you've got..._

* * *

The lair was mostly quiet; a strange thing considering it was currently occupied by four young ninjas-in-training; and even stranger considering these weren't your average, garden variety young ninjas. At the tender age of nine, these boys were about four feet tall and each wore a different colored mask that covered the top of his head. However, were they to venture out of the sewers they had always called home and into the heart of New York City, few passers-by would notice their age, height, or the colors of their masks. It is far more likely that they would be preoccupied with the three fingers and two toes that the boys possessed on each hand and foot, respectively. They would also be sure to notice the large shell-like structures covering their backs and the hard armor-like plating that made up their chests, not-to-mention the fact that their skin, overall, was green.

But, these young mutant turtles were not about to go running around topside, at least not in broad daylight and certainly not without their father and sensei, a large mutant rat called Splinter, there to guide them. They knew better; and at the moment they were perfectly content to remain in their sewer home while Splinter was out. At least… most of them were.

Raphael peered out of the bedroom he shared with his brothers. He had grown restless in the hours since their sensei left and was more then ready to stretch his legs with a quick run through the sewer pipes that surrounded the lair. The problem, though, would be in sneaking out without any of his brothers, particularly not Leonardo, noticing.

Although they were all more or less the same age, the blue-masked turtle was considered the eldest. Out of the four of them, he was the most responsible; always doing his best in lessons and rarely, if ever, breaking any rules. For these reasons he'd been given the title of leader and was always placed in charge when their master was out. Leo was also the one who be sure to put a stop to Raphael's plans before he even got one toe outside the lair.

It was due to this that the red-masked turtle was being so wary. He knew that if Leo caught him, the chances of him getting out would be slim to none. He'd argue of course and they'd probably end up in a fight but he'd still end up staying home and having to wait for whatever punishment Master Splinter would deal him for trying to sneak out in the first place. This would be, of course, after Leo proceeded to tattle on him like the goody-goody little snitch he was.

One would think that knowing all this would dissuade young Raphael from trying to get out in the first place. But he was bored and his legs were starting itch. Raphael wasn't the sort to just sit around for hours upon end doing essentially nothing. He wanted to be active and, at the moment, being active meant going for a run; which brings us to his current predicament.

The lair was indeed quiet. The only sounds came from the television where Raphael's youngest (or so they considered him) brother, Michelangelo, was watching reruns of "Moonlighting" and from back in the bedroom were Donatello was currently tinkering with some contraption or another. Leonardo was reading on the couch; George Orwell's 1984 by the looks of it. Raphael shook his head. How a nine-year-old could read such a book was beyond him. Then again, he thought with a smirk, Leo just loves playing Big Brother.

Raphael took his chance. A quick glance back assured him that Donnie wouldn't be coming up from his invention anytime soon. Mikey was snickering as David Addison sang "Buses, all shiny and new. Come aboard, we're waiting for you," and Leo look like he was very deep into his book, his eyes skimming across the page at one hundred rpm's.

Employing every ounce of ninja stealth he'd been taught, Raphael crept across the living room quickly and silently. He was almost to the exit: ten feet… five feet… three, two…

"Where are you going?"

Shell…

Raphael froze mere inches from the exit. Behind him, Leonardo carefully marked his page and laid his book on the coffee table before turning to gaze at his red-masked brother over the back of the couch.

Raph turned a glare at the older turtle. "Out. What's it to you?"

Leo sighed and stood up, waking around the couch to join his brother at the door. Mikey, noticing the imminent confrontation, abandoned the television in favor of Leo's previous position on the back of the couch.

"We're supposed to stay home." Leo said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm just going for a quick run through the sewer. I'll be back in five."

"You're not going anywhere Raph. Master Splinter told us not to leave the lair. Besides, it could be dangerous."

"Dangerous? Yeah right." Raphael scoffed at the idea. The argument had barely begun and he was already sick of it. "What, now our fearless leader is scared of the dark and spooky sewers?"

Leo frowned. "Don't call me that."

"What, fearless? Why not? You always act like you're fearless."

"I do not. Just leave me alone."

"You leave me alone." Raph turned back to the door. "I'm goin'"

"No you're not, Shell-fer-brains!"

"Yes I am, Splinta Jr.!"

Leo opened his mouth to retort but Raph didn't hear what he said. He might not have said anything at all, because at that very moment he was cut off by a blaring sound that filled the lair, echoing off the walls in a deafening clamor that caused all three turtles in the living room to cover their ears.

Just as suddenly as it began, the sound ceased and utter silence filled the lair for a few moments. The three look at each other and then at the door to the bedroom before shouting in unison, "Donny!"

The purple-masked turtle sheepishly poked his head into the living room. "Hey guys! Did you call me?"

"What the shell was that!?" Raph exclaimed.

"Yeah, seriously dude. It sounded like Captain Kirk had just ordered a red alert or something," orange-masked Michelangelo said as he left the couch to join his brothers.

"Oh, that. That was just my new alarm system."

"Alarm system?" Leo asked. He wasn't aware that Donny had built and alarm system let alone installed one.

"Yeah. The last time we went to the dump I found some old motion detectors and security cameras. I fixed them up and added them to a few things I already had. Master Splinter and I set them up yesterday." Donatello was very excited about all this for obvious reasons. He'd been obsessed with electronics since he'd been old enough to take apart their first toaster.

"Okay. So why did it go off?" Raph asked. His ears were still ringing from the noise.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's just Master Splinter on his way home. Eventually, I want to set it up so that any of us can turn it off on a panel outside the perimeter, but I don't have all the equipment I need yet. Hey, let's go see if the cameras are working!" He waved an arm for them to follow and dashed back into the bedroom.

Leo looked at his other two brothers. Mikey smiled and Raph just shrugged before the three of them followed their purple-masked brother.

Donny's area of the bedroom was littered with various gizmos and weird looking inventions. He tried his best to keep it organized and well… _he_, at least, knew where everything was. Tossing aside his sheet and a few notebooks he revealed and old, black and white television. Mikey, of course, noticed this immediately.

"Hey! Why do you get your own TV?"

Donny shook his head. "It's not a TV, Mikey." He paused. "Well… it is. But you won't be watching Star Trek on this one. It won't connect to any of the stations. Instead, I've got it on a direct link to my security cameras." He switched it on. The screen was divided into four sections, each displaying a different view of the sewers outside the lair. "Now we can see exactly who's coming." Sure enough, a few seconds later, movement appeared in the lower left box. But it wasn't what they expected to see.

"Um… That don't look like Masta Splinta." Raph said slowly.

The other's noticed this as well. "Hold on. Let me switch the feed." Donatello used a remote to change the channel. The other three boxes disappeared leaving only the bottom left which now filled the entire screen. The magnification allowed the turtles to clearly see about fifteen men dressed from head to toe in black. Several carried swords and various other weapons.

Raphael growled. "Humans."

"Ninja." Leo whispered.

"And they're coming this way." Donny confirmed with a glance back at the monitor.

Mikey worried his lower lip for a moment before asking, "What are we gonna do, Leo?"

Raph didn't give the blue-masked turtle a chance to answer. "We're gonna fight 'em of course."

"No Raph!" Leo insisted. "They're too many of them, and we aren't fully trained yet."

"You got a better idea?"

Leo thought for a moment. "We hide."

"I hate hidin'," Raph grumbled.

"So do I, But we haven't got a choice." He turned back to the monitor just as the last of the ninjas disappeared from the screen. "Don, how long do we have?"

"That camera is a good distance away from the lair. I'd say we have about five minutes."

"Alright, come on." Leo went back out into the main room, closely followed by his three brothers. A quick glance around revealed few hiding places. The usual hide and seek spots would be too obvious. There was a small storage compartment built into the wall directly across from the bedroom. When they were younger they'd discovered that they could all squeeze inside and still have room to move. That wouldn't be the case now, but he believed that three could still fit. It would be tight, but they'd just have to deal with it.

"In here." He opened the cupboard and gestured his brother's inside. Mikey crawled in closely followed by Donny, but Raph paused at the door.

"We ain't all gonna fit in here, Leo."

"I'll hide somewhere else. Just get in."

Raph wasn't about to go for this. "Leo…"

"Dang it, Raph! For once just listen to me!" The red-masked turtle froze as he looked into his brother's eyes. In that moment those eyes reflected something he could not remember ever seeing in them- fear; real, genuine fear, but not for himself. He was afraid for them. And suddenly, Raph was afraid as well. Suddenly, he felt as though everything he'd ever known was about to change.

"Please, Raph." Leo whispered. But his eyes said much more. _"It's your turn to be the leader. Take care of them."_

Raphael nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on his brother the entire, memorizing his features so that he would never forget them. And somehow he knew that this would be the last time he saw his big brother, for a very long time. Then he turned and joined his younger brothers in the tiny compartment.

Leo gazed in at his brothers for a moment and shut the door. An old bookcase stood near to the cabinet. The blue-masked turtle pushed against this, using it to completely block the hiding space from sight. Just as he finished, the ninjas entered the lair.

Raphael listened in silence, to the struggle outside. Leo was in trouble. He wanted to call out, to do… something. But he knew he couldn't. He had a job to do now.

To his right, Mikey was whimpering slightly. The red-masked turtle knew he was crying. On his other side, Donny was shaking but silent. They were both scared, just as he was. But there was nothing they could do.

A minute later the fighting ceased and they heard the voices of strange men.

"What about the others?"

"Forget 'em. The boss only wants one. Let's go."

And then there was silence.

* * *

…_Till it's gone._


	2. A thousand words

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

* * *

**AN. **A warm thank you goes out to CelicaChick, VGiselleH, Lioness-Goddess, MTAngeli, and vashsunglasses for their reviews. It's very encouraging to know people are enjoying this. Yes, they took Leo. Alas, it must be so. Will he return? Well… That's for me to know and you to keep reading and find out. By the by, I'm still on the look out for a beta-reader. Please PM me if you would like the job. 

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_A picture is worth..._

* * *

Raphael crouched low, prepared for anything. In his hands he held his red-handled sai steady, ready for the attack. Twin katana rested in their sheaths on his back, creating an "X" across his shell. Their handles were blue. The red-masked turtle could draw them at any moment should the need arise. He was well trained in both weapons, having spent the past seven years practicing kata after kata, determined, as he was, to be ready. The sai were his weapon of choice; the swords belonged to another. 

His opponent struck. He dodged the blow and parried with one of his own. A block to the left was followed up with a strike on the right. One step back, one left, two forward. A jab with both sai and a twist that would have disarmed a lesser opponent. Not this one; he was too fast. But Raphael expected that. What he didn't expect was for the orange-masked turtle to suddenly jump into the air, flipping over his head to land on his back.

Raph caught himself on his hands and sprang back to his feet as his younger brother leaped out of reach. "Dang it, Mikey. You're askin' for it."

"What's wrong Raphy-boy? Too slow?" Michelangelo twirled his nunchucks idly and stuck his tongue out at his sai-wielding brother. Across the dojo, Donatello rolled his eyes and shared a smile with his sensei. The purple-masked turtle would be up next and he spun his bo staff slowly to keep his muscles loose as he watched his brothers spar.

Raphael glared at his orange-masked brother. "I'll give you slow." He rushed in, watching the younger turtle's every move. Mikey would rely on his speed to win the match. But if he played it just right, Raph could use that speed against him. They sparred for a few minutes, pulling their blows so as to not hurt each other. The red-masked turtle saw his brother prepare for another of his speed tricks. This time he was ready.

Michelangelo swung wide at full speed it an attempt to get behind his sai-wielding brother. The next thing he knew he was flat on the ground, his nunchucks laying haphazardly a few feet away

"Huh?" Rolling over, Mikey spied his older brother. Raphael just smirked at him and deposited his sai in his belt. His right hand still held the katana he had used to disarm the younger turtle.

"Hey Mike. I believe you were saying something 'bout me being slow." Raphael helped his brother up and they both bowed to signal the end of the match. The sword was still in his hand. Walking to the corner of the room, he picked up a rag and carefully wiped the blade before returning it to its sheath.

"My sons," Master Splinter walked to the center of the room and his three mutant sons lined up before him. "You are all doing well in your training. Raphael, you are close to mastering both your sai and the twin katana. I am proud of the diligence you show in practice."

The red-masked turtle bowed. "Thank you, Master Splinter."

"Michelangelo," the rat continued. "Your speed is a great asset but it can also become your enemy. You would do well to keep a closer eye on your opponent."

Mikey grinned sheepishly. "Uh… yeah, I mean, yes Sensei."

Splinter smiled and nodded, signaling the boys to continue the session. Raphael turned to his purple masked brother, twirling his sai and grinning wickedly. "You ready to take me on, Donny?"

Donatello smiled and lifted his bo in a battle stance. "I've been ready. I was just waiting for you."

* * *

Raphael stepped into the main area of the lair looking around at the strange architecture. It had only been two months since the mousers chased them out of their old place, but the new lair was finally starting to feel like home. On his way to the kitchen, he passed their storage room were Mike and Donny were going through boxes from the old lair. 

He decided to check in on them and paused in the doorway. "Hey guys, find anything interesting?"

Donny looked up and smiled at his older brother. "Not really. Most of it is junk that we'll have to take down to the dump tomorrow." He opened another box and coughed at the face full of dust he got, and then turned a wry look at the youngest of the three. "…Such as age old action figures and ancient comic books."

This, of course, sparked the orange-masked reptile's attention. He looked up from the box he was buried in and was at his brother's side in an instant. "What? No way are we throwing these out!" He gathered the toys into his arms but almost immediately dropped them when he saw what was beneath them. "Oh, man! I've been looking all over for this! It's my Silver Sentry volume 7, first issue: the rarest issue ever!" He picked up the comic and proceeded to explain the finer details of the Silver Sentry's epic battle with some villain or another.

Raph quickly let his mind wander, not particularly caring about Mikey's favorite super hero. His eyes drifted around the room taking in the various childhood memorabilia that had already been unpacked and sorted. His sight paused on the box from which Mikey had drawn the comic book and he frowned

Mikey stopped talking abruptly and Donny turned from where he'd been pretending to listen as their red-masked brother reached into the box and withdrew a thin, leather-bound, photo album. He blew the dust off the cover and turned it over in his hands before opening it gently. The plastic pages stuck together where time and moisture had eaten at them.

Donny and Mike came around to peer over Raphael's shoulders at the age old Polaroid of a grinning eight-year-old turtle in a purple mask.

Donatello smiled fondly. "Hey, I remember that. Master Splinter found the camera in an alley and gave it to me for Christmas that year. We had so much fun with it… till the film ran out."

"Aww… look at baby Donny-Wonny. Isn't he cute?" Michelangelo mocked in a voice befitting a parent with a newborn.

The purple-masked turtle rolled his eyes. "Eight years old is hardly a baby, Mikey."

"I know," Mike replied with a grin. "But look at how tiny you are. I don't ever remember being that small."

Raphael laughed at that. "You're still that small, Mike. Oh, here's one of you… and you're sucking your thumb. Who's the baby now?" He turned the page to reveal a younger orange-masked turtle with what was more like half of his hand shoved in his mouth.

"Ooh, let me see!" Mike snatched the book from his brother's hands and beamed at the photo. "Yup, definitely more adorable then Donny-boy." He turned the page. "And here's one of all of us. Hmm… and I'm still the cutest."

The next picture revealed four young turtles gathered together around a Christmas tree. Mike held it out for his brothers to see. "Look! There's me and Donny and Raph and…" He stopped, his finger hovering over the small, blue-masked turtle. The boy in the photo smiled happily, obviously enjoying the holidays with his family. He had no idea, of course, that it would be the last Christmas they'd spend together.

The storage room had fallen awkwardly silent. The three turtles stood motionless, remembering. Then, slowly, Raphael lifted his hand to touch one of the katana behind his back. "Leo…"

His whisper broke the moment and Mikey snapped the album shut. "Wow…" the orange-masked turtle said in a choked voice. "I mean… wow. It's… been a long time" Nobody else said anything. Donny went back to rummaging through boxes while Raph just stood there, his hand still glued to the katana. Mikey sighed. He knew that his red-masked brother had always felt responsible for their eldest brother's disappearance.

Returning the album and his comic to the box, he decided to break the silence that had once again filled the room. "Do, uh… Do you think we'll ever see him again?"

This snapped Raph out of his trance-like state and he dropped his hand from the sword before turning to give his youngest brother a half-hearted grin. "'Course we'll see him again, Mike. Just you wait; one of these days he's gonna walk in here and start lecturing me about not leading just the he'd like. And I'll tell him that if he don't like the way I lead he can have the job back 'cause I'm sick and tired of having to deal with you two slackers all the time."

Donatello looked up from his box with a frown. Across the room, Raph and Mike were snickering and joking that it'd be just like Leo. The purple-masked turtle sighed. "Don't you think that's a bit unrealistic, Raph?"

"What do you mean Donny?" Raphael asked, still smiling although his eyes narrowed.

"I mean…" Don sighed again and stood up straight. "If you think about it logically, the chances of Leo actually coming back, after all this time are… well the percentages aren't very high in his favor."

Now Raph smile dropped completely into a grim line. He turned his back on his brothers as his hand once again returned to the hilt of the katana. "I don't care about logic and chances and percentages, Donny. He's our brother and he is going to come back to us."

Don shook his head. It wasn't healthy to dwell in the past and his older brother had been doing that for far too long. "Listen, Raph. I miss Leo as much as anyone. But it's been seven years and-"

He was cut off by the sudden appearance of a blade an inch from his snout. Raphael's frown had become a glare which stopped any other words Donatello may have uttered before they reached his throat.

"I _know_ that it's been seven years, Donny." His eyes were filled with anger, but it was directed inwardly. "You think I don't remember each time I hold his katana in my hands? Every time I _touch_ them, I'm reminded of the vow I made when we got our weapons." He sighed and turned away, returning the sword to its sheath. "I promised him. I should have found him by now."

Donatello hung his head. "Raph, I…" He trailed off, not knowing what to say. Mikey stood silent, watching, remembering.

"I'm gonna find him. I've got to." The red-masked turtle shook his head and strode across the room. He paused at the door. "I'm going out."

"Hang on." Don replied. "We'll join you."

"Nah… I, uh… I wanna be by myself for awhile." And he was gone.

* * *

…_a thousand words._


	3. The plain and single vow

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

* * *

**AN. **Sorry for the late update. As life goes on, priorities change and sadly TMNT gets pushed farther down on the to do list. However, I'm not giving up on this. Just keep an eye on your favorites list; you never know when I might update. 

To all my reviewers: Thank you so much. It's nice to get some insight into what you're thinking and what questions you have. The main one seems to be, "Where is Leo?" but that's to be expected. And, no I won't be giving you the answer to that… yet. Rather, this chapter will explore another topic that seemed of interest in the reviews. So read on and enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this chapter is by William Shakespeare. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth… _

* * *

_Raph was unsure as to how long they remained in the dark, stuffy cupboard. Beside him, Michelangelo had fallen asleep. Every now and then, Donatello would shift, trying to find a more comfortable position. Raph's mind was racing but his heart was sore. Their older brother was gone, that much was plain. But questions remained: Who had taken him? Where were they going? What would happen to him? Would they ever see him again?_

"_My sons?" Splinter's voice cut through his thoughts. Raphael felt relived. Their master would know what to do._

"_Master Splinter!" He called. Mikey woke up and he and Donny also began shouting for their father. A moment later they heard the bookcase being moved out from in front of the compartment and the door was opened._

_Immediately, Mike and Donny were in the old rats arms. Raph hung back gazing around at the mess that was once their living room. The TV was smashed and the couch over turned. A long cardboard box he had never seen before lay nearby. He ignored it._

"_My sons," Master Splinter drew their attention toward him. "What has happened? Where is Leonardo?"_

_Raphael stared at the ground; the room was silent. Looking back at his brothers he realized they were staring at him expectantly. He understood it was his job to answer; he was the leader._

"_He's gone Master Splinter. Some creeps in black broke in. Leo made us hide but there wasn't room for him. He said he'd find someplace else but…I guess he didn't have time. We heard him fighting and then…" He trailed off, not knowing what else to say._

_The rat listened silently to his red-masked son's explanation. The other two looked scared and worried. The room was a mess; that could be dealt with later. His eldest son was missing. Finding him and keeping his other sons safe were his first priorities. _

_That evening was spent searching the nearby sewer system for clues as to who had taken Leonardo and where he might be. They returned close to midnight, exhausted and empty handed. As Master Splinter tucked a tearful Michelangelo and a solemn Donatello in, Raphael's gaze drifted to Leo's empty bed. Just how long would it remain empty?_

_His sleep that night was filled with visions of black-clad ninja and missing brothers. By the time morning came, he'd convinced himself that the previous day's events were nothing more then a horrible dream. He lay contently for a few moments, enjoying the fact that no matter how bad his nightmares were, he could always wake up._

_His peace didn't last long, though, as Master Splinter came in to wake them up. Over the past few months, Leonardo had taken it upon himself to wake his brothers each morning and make sure they were all in the dojo in time for training. To have their father get them up instead was to bring reality crashing back down around him. Half his mind insisted that he was still dreaming and would wake up at any moment. The other half new the truth: this was one nightmare he couldn't wake up from. This was real._

_The next few days passed slowly for the three remaining turtles. Splinter spent much of his time searching for their blue-masked brother although he returned nearly every hour to make sure they were alright. Each return was met with hopeful faces wanting news. It saddened the old rat greatly that he could tell them nothing of what had become of Leonardo._

_Donatello's security camera monitor had been moved into the main room where the purple- masked turtle kept constant vigil over what went on outside the lair. The alarm had been turned off due to Splinter's frequent comings and goings. With the main television smashed, there was little for the boys to do as they waited._

_Nearly a week had passed since Leo's abduction; Splinter was out again, searching. Donny had once again taken his station on the couch, watching the monitor for any sign of movement. Mikey and Raph were playing checkers, although neither was truly into the game. It was just another way to pass the time until Splinter's next return. Still, Mikey seemed more preoccupied then normal as Raph pulled off a double jump right under the orange masked turtle's nose. Raphael frowned. Mikey had always been the best at checkers._

"_Your move, Mikey." He said._

_Michelangelo, who'd been staring at the other end of the room and failed to notice he'd just lost two of his pieces, jumped at his brother's voice. He returned his gaze to the board and frowned at his slowly depleting game pieces._

_Donny looked over and noticed what was going on. "You alright, Mike? You seem kinda…distracted."_

"_Yeah, I'm fine, I just…" His gaze drifted back to the opposite wall. _

_Raph turned to look in the same direction. "Um…what are you looking at?_

_Mike shrugged. "The box."_

"_Box?" Raph and Don echoed simultaneously._

"_Yeah, the one Master Splinter brought home. I've just been wondering what's in it, is all."_

_Raphael looked. There, against the wall was the same cardboard box he'd seen the day Leo disappeared. He hadn't even noticed it since then. Now that Mike had pointed it out, he realized that whatever was in that box was what Splinter had gone to get that day. "Think we should open it?"_

_Don considered this for a moment. "Well, he did say he was bringing home a surprise for us." They exchanged glances for a moment. Then Mikey grinned and hopped to his feet._

"_I'm gonna open it." The other two quickly followed their younger brother and soon all three were gathered around the plain brown box. Slowly, the orange-masked turtle placed his hands on either side of the lid. With a final glance at his brothers, he whipped off the lid._

"_No Way!"_

"_All Right!"_

"_I definitely have to say that this is beyond cool!" _

_As excited exclamations continued, the objects within the box were removed and passed around. "Donny, I think this one's yours." Michelangelo handed the purple-masked turtle a long wooden Bo staff. He looked over it carefully, admiring the fine woodworking and simple purple wrap. He grinned when, upon further inspection, he found his name carved in handsome Japanese kanji._

_Next, Mikey pulled out two red-handled sai. "I think I know who these are for. Raph catch!" Raphael did as he was told and caught both sai in mid-air._

"_Awesome!" The blades shimmered in the dim light of the underground lair and he caught sight of his name engraved near the handles._

"_Dude! These are totally tubular!" Raph and Donny laughed as Mike pulled out two orange-wrapped nunchucks and gave them a few experimental twirls, only to succeed in smacking himself in the nose. "Owww," he whined, rubbing his sore snout._

"_I see you have discovered your presents, my sons." The turtles turned to see their master walking toward them, a gentle smile on his face. _

"_Master Splinter! Are we really going to start weapons training?" Don inquired._

"_Yes, Donatello. Come, my sons. I believe it is time for a lesson." He sat on floor with his sons before him. "Tomorrow, I will begin training you in the use of your individual weapons. However, I ask you to remember that the possession of a weapon does not make you more powerful or a better ninja. A weapon is only as good as he who wields it."_

_As Splinter spoke Raph admired his new sai. He couldn't wait to learn how to use them. Maybe someday he could use them to take down bad guys. 'Like those creeps who took Leo.' The thought came to him like a blow to the chest as he realized that, in their excitement, they'd completely forgotten their missing brother. Suddenly, he didn't want the weapons anymore; knowing that Leonardo wouldn't be there to train with them made him feel sick. His eyes drifted to the now empty box beside him only to discover that it was not in fact empty._

_A pair of katana rested harmlessly in their sheaths. 'Blue handles…Leo's weapon.' _

_Splinter stopped talking abruptly when he saw his red-masked son place his sai on the ground and reach back into the box. The rat knew well what was left inside and felt a stab of pain in his heart as Raphael lifted the swords that would have belonged to his eldest son. _

_Placing one sword on his lap, Raph lifted the other and slid it slowly from its sheath. Ancient Japanese writing glittered near the base of the long silver blade, spelling out a single word…a single name. _

_Leonardo_

"_I'm gonna train." Raphael's determined voice cut through the silence. He lifted the sword and held it vertically in front of his face then pick up one of his sai and did the same. With both weapons before him, he made his promise. "I'm gonna train and I'm gonna learn everything I can." He locked eyes with his sensei. "Because someday I'm gonna find Leo and I'm gonna give him his swords. And we're gonna fight side by side." He looked at his brothers. "All four of us." Don and Mike nodded, clutching their own weapons tightly. _

_Raph looked back at the katana. "I will find you Leo. I promise." _

* * *

Raphael sat on the edge of the roof, the same roof he'd sat on hundreds of times in the past. He gazed out across the New York skyline, lost in his memories. The night was clear but few stars shown through the glaring lights of the city. He tilted the katana in his grasp, allowing the light from the street lamps to catch the kanji on the blade. A bitter smile spread across his face as he spoke into the night sky. 

"It's been seven years, bro. Where are you?" With a sigh he returned the sword to its place on his back and stood. Flexing his legs where they'd fallen asleep, he rolled his head back for a final look at the non-existent stars then started off along the rooftops. "I wonder if Casey's up to a bit of dragon hunting."

* * *

_But the plain single vow, that is vowed true._


	4. As wanting

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

**AN. **Duplicity is now on Stealthy Stories.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this chapter is by Mr. Spock. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Having is not so pleasing a thing..._

* * *

Casey wasn't at home; no surprise there. The vigilante had been spending more and more time and April's apartment as of late, much to the young woman's annoyance. His excuse was simple: her place was closer to the guys so if they needed the two of them for some reason they wouldn't have to travel so far. Of course, everyone knew this was just an excuse especially considering they rarely "needed" Casey for anything. The true reason for his never-ending visit to April's place was April herself. 

Raphael landed nimbly on the roof of the loft above 2nd Time Around. He could hear music from within and lights shone through the windows. Wasting no time, he scaled down the fire escape to the landing next to the kitchen window. "Red Barchetta" greeted his ears as he slid open the pane and slipped into the light filled room. It was then that his eyes were met a rather amusing sight.

Casey stood at the counter with his back to the turtle. A white scarf was tied over his dark hair and a floral-print apron around his waist. A feather duster was stuck in his back pocket and it flicked back and forth in time with the music as he scrubbed the counter with a sponge that may have once been yellow. When the song ended Raph decided it was time to announce his presence.

"The Mr. Mom look really suits you, Case; although the apron may be going a bit far."

Casey spun around, surprised to see Raph there leaning casually against the pantry. "Sheesh Raph! You tryin' to give me heart attack?"

"Nope, just tryin' to get a laugh at your expense." He shot back with a smirk. "By the way Case, you've got a little somethin' right here."

The man immediately pulled the scarf off his head and wiped his face with it, glaring at Raph all the while. Then his expression change to apprehension as he hurriedly peeked into the living room before pulling Raph away from the door and lowering his voice to a rough whisper.

"Raph, buddy, you gotta get me outa here. April's been running me ragged. I…"

"And for good reason Casey Jones." April appeared in the doorway carrying a bucket filled with soapy water. She smiled at the turtle. "Hello Raph. Sorry, Casey can't go with you tonight. He's making up for all the messes I've had to clean up in the past few weeks. Hopefully then," She shoved the bucket into the arms of the startled man, successfully splashing water all over his apron. "He'll learn not to leave his garbage lying around."

Casey grinned sheepishly. "Ah, common Ape. We'll only be gone a couple of hours and then…" He held up the bucket. "Then I'll scrub your entire floor."

"I don't think so Jones. You're going to scrub my floor anyway. Now get to it." Casey's mouth opened and closed a few times before he stomped to the edge of the kitchen and got down on his hands and knees, grumbling all the way. April smiled and shook her head, then turned back to the turtle. "Can I get you something to drink Raph?"

"Nah, no thanks. I better get going and leave Casey to his… work." He grinned.

"Well, tell the guys I said 'hi,' alright?" She leaned over to kiss the Raph's cheek.

"Yeah, sure thing Ape." He shook off his embarrassment from her open show of affection and turned back toward the fire escape. "Catch you later, Case," he called out and just before he shut the window he heard a grumbled, "Thanks for the help, Raph."

Raphael shook his head; that's Casey for you: an arrogant, pig-headed, mess-maker. Still, he didn't know where he'd be without the guy.

Raph knew he had anger issues; after Leo's disappearance, they'd only gotten worse. But he'd forced himself to control his feelings and emotions for the sake of his brothers. He was the leader now. He had responsibilities. He held his anger inside, only allowing release late at night when it was just him and the punching bag. It wasn't easy, and it only got harder as he got older. It didn't help that he had no one to relate to, no one who understood his anger and what it did to him.

The day he met Casey, he'd nearly lost it. He hadn't had any time to himself to let his emotions out in a few days and he felt like a volcano ready to erupt. Mike wasn't helping, taunting him and altogether getting on his nerves. He'd blown his top and lashed out at his younger brother. He still couldn't figure out what stopped him from seriously injuring Mikey. Thinking back he recalled a hand on his wrist and a voice from behind him, but when he looked, there was no one there. Regardless, it brought him back to his senses and when he realized what he'd been about to do, he high-tailed it out of there.

While trying to get his nerves under control, he ran into Casey. In him, he'd found a friend, a kindred spirit, someone who could understand him in ways that his brothers and father could not. They were so alike; they forged a bond as strong as any between blood brothers. Since then, Casey had become his go-to in dealing with his anger. Together, they would work off their frustrations, whether it was by racing their bikes through the streets of New York City or by, as Casey liked to say, "Bustin' heads."

Raph grinned as he continued along the rooftops. Yep, Casey was a life saver.

"Speaking of bustin' heads…" he stopped and backtracked to the alley he'd just passed over. Peering down he spotted a couple of punks pulling a knife on a young woman. "Ah…" his smile turned wicked. "This should be fun." Pulling out his sai, he leapt down into the ally.

A few minutes later, the girl was dashing out of the ally, unharmed but for a bit of roughing up; the punks were unconscious. Raph dusted off his hands, smiling at the satisfaction of another mission accomplished. He was just about to head back up to the roof when someone appeared at the mouth of the alley. "What the shell? Another one, eh?"

The man was young, probably 19 or 20; his hair was shaved to short stubble and he had piercings along both eyebrows. A purple dragon tattoo ran down the length of his arm. The sight caused Raph to grin maliciously. "Just who I was looking for." He walked toward the man only to stop short when five more dragons appeared along side their buddy. Some held baseball bats, while others wielded tire irons threateningly. "Hey, this might actually be a slight challenge."

They came at him. He didn't even bother with his sai as he sent the first two flying over his head. The third discovered that his shell wouldn't make a very nice pillow. He turned back to the rest only to discover that there were now more of them. "What, did you guys learn how to multiply? I guess you finally passed the third grade, huh." He counted them mentally- about ten, nothing he couldn't handle.

He drew his sai and beckoned them forward with a grin. "Let's do this."

They attacked as one, and not just from in front of him. Dragons seemed to appear out of nowhere from the sides and behind him. Ten soon became thirty, which turned into fifty. The instant Raph took one punk out of commission, another was there to take his place. _What is this? _he thought to himself. It was common for a handful of dragons to team up for a mission, but they never came together en masse like this; they weren't coordinated enough for that. _Somebody planned this…an ambush._

He managed to shove a few more punks to the ground as he looked for an escape. There was no way he could win this on his own in such an enclosed space. The alley was too small; there was no room to move. _The roof… I need to get to the roof._

The mass of bodies pinned him in the corner and his sai were wrenched from his grasp. He couldn't lift his arms to draw his katana as they pressed in on him tighter. He saw the tire iron coming; he tried to stop it but his arms were pinned.

For a moment there was nothing. Then the pain came as lights danced before his eyes. It was impossible for him to fight back now; he was disoriented and could barely see. They rained upon him in a torrent of crude weapons and he shut his eyes waiting for darkness to claim him.

Then he heard something; a voice, familiar and yet not at the same time. The deluge eased and then stopped. For a moment he just breathed; a warm breeze from the street felt cool on his overly hot skin. He was sore all over and his head was throbbing. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was alive and he did not notice the sound of steel being laid on the ground nor the presence of someone nearby.

A touch on his face caused him to snap his eyes open. It took him a moment to focus on the stranger; his eyes still weren't working quite right. His first few glimpses convinced him he was hallucinating, or perhaps he had died after all, though if this was heaven he'd hate to see what hell was like. But as his vision began to clear he came to realize that what he was seeing was indeed real.

The turtle knelt before him, examining his head wound carefully. Calm brown eyes shown though a dark blue mask and there was no mistaking who it was. Raphael's mind was reeling. He still couldn't figure out why he'd been ambushed or how he'd survived and now, out of nowhere, his long lost brother had appeared and was tending to his wounds? It didn't help that his head felt like it was about to split open and he couldn't think straight.

The older turtle leaned back and took a good look at Raph before standing and lifting a long nodachi from the ground beside him. For a fleeting moment, Raphael thought his brother was going to cut him down but he merely slid the large sword into its sheath along his back and held a hand out to him.

"You're going to have one shell of a headache tomorrow, Raph."

"Leo…" Raph breathed. He took the offered hand and stood but was immediately overcome by dizziness. Leonardo steadied him, allowing him to lean against him as he overcame the sudden nausea.

"You've probably got a concussion. You'd better get Don to take a look at that. Can you make it home?"

"Yeah, it ain't far." Raph answered almost robotically, his mind still racing at everything that was happening. _If my head would stop pounding maybe I could figure this out._

Leo looked up to the sky as though searching for someone then returned his gaze to his brother. "Good. You'd better go then." After ensuring that Raphael could stand on his own, he stepped back and took one last look at his younger brother. "I'll see you later, Raph," he said. Then he scaled a nearby fire escape and disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

**11:24 PM**

_Raph should be home soon._

Donatello spun away from his computer and gazed toward the entrance to the lair. He felt bad about what he'd said earlier and didn't want to go to bed with bitter feelings still hanging in the air between himself and his red-masked brother. While he was set in his beliefs that the chances of their eldest brother coming back were slim, he knew that his words had hurt Raphael, who had held so long on to the hope of Leo's return and the honoring of a promise made years ago.

He was about to turn back to the monitor when the door opened. Raph came in, as expected; but what was not expected was the state he was in.

"Raph!" Don rushed to his brother's side, taking note of his injuries as he led him into the living room. The most obvious of these was the golf ball sized lump on the top of his head; he probably had a concussion which would account for his staggering pace. He was covered all over in small cuts and bruises, but nothing else major.

"Master Splinter! Mike!" He called for his brother and father as Raph slumped against the sofa. Quickly, he rushed to his lab to get the first aid kit. When he returned, he found Raph trying to stand up again. "No, Raph. You've got to sit down while I get you fixed up."

"No, no I'm fine Don." His words were mostly coherent, which was a good sign. "I've got to tell you-"

"You can tell me later." Don pushed him back down on the couch and proceeded to shine a small flashlight into his eyes checking his pupil dilation. Meanwhile, Michelangelo and Splinter had arrived.

"Dude, what happened to you?" Raph turned his head toward Mikey's voice and spotted his sensei, which prompted him to try and rise once more.

"Master Splinter, I…"

"Raph! Stay still!" Donatello ordered, shoving him back down. Raphael remained seated but continued to speak to the rat, further annoying his brother-turned-doctor by turning his head away.

"Master Splinter, I saw him. He was there. He saved me." No one knew what he was talking about but Splinter merely came around to sit beside him on the couch and rest a paw on his arm.

"Be calm my son, and tell me what has happened." His voice and gentle touch did indeed calm the still-disoriented turtle. After a few deep breaths he began explaining what happened after he left April's apartment.

Donatello work quietly as he told his story, patching him up and ensuring that he wouldn't be falling into a coma any time soon. He did not pause in his work until Raph told of the number of Purple Dragons that had attacked him. At this point he stopped completely and stood back, his mouth agape. Michelangelo also appeared shocked at what he'd heard.

"Why would they gather together like that? The dragons always work alone or in small groups. They don't have the communications power to pull together an attack like that… unless… someone else was pulling the strings."

"That's what I was thinking. But who?"

Don just shook his head. He had no ideas at this point but planned on looking into it as soon as he got the chance.

"Continue, my son," Splinter prompted and Raphael returned to the tale. He paused for a moment before speaking about the stranger. He met each of his brother's eyes before returning his gaze to his father.

"I couldn't believe it at first, but there really wasn't anyone else it could be. He wore a blue mask, but it was dark blue, like almost black. And he had a big ole sword… an ôdachi of some sort."

"Um… bro?" Mike cut it, now completely confused. "Who are you talking about?"

Raph held his tongue for a moment. He knew they wouldn't believe him, especially not Donny. But he had to tell them. "Leo."

Don had just finished bandaging a small cut on his arm when his brother said this. He frowned. _Of course._ He took a deep breath.

"Raph, you've been through a lot tonight and you got hit pretty hard. Hallucinations are a sign of a serious concussion."

"I wasn't hallucinating, Don. I know what I saw. He helped me up and told me was gonna have a headache, which I do by the way. Then he just… left." He turned away from his purple-masked brother and looked at Michelangelo. "You believe me, right Mike?"

Mikey looked between his two brothers, unsure. "I… don't know what I believe."

Raph frowned and then started to get up. "Yeah well. I know what I saw. I know it was Leo. And I'm gonna go find him."

"Raph, you're still disoriented. You need to rest."

"I'm fine. I just need some Tylenol. Leo's still out there and…" A fur covered hand on his shoulder stopped him and he turned to see his master's gentle smile.

"And he will still be out there tomorrow."

"Master Splinter. You believe me?"

"I believe… that if Leonardo has revealed himself to you once, he will most certainly come again." Raph nodded and allowed himself to be lowered back onto the couch. "For now you must rest and allow your body to heal. Anything else can be dealt with later."

* * *

**2:38 AM**

He stared at the computer screen. He was tired, but knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he tried. They had kept Raphael up for a few more hours to ensure that there wouldn't be any lasting effects from the concussion. He'd finally given him the okay at about 1:30 and sent him to bed with two ibuprofen tablets and a glass of water. Don himself had retreated to his computer, unable to get his mind to settle.

"Hey, Donny. You gonna go to bed?" Mike came up behind him from a late night trip to the bathroom. "What are you doing anyway?"

"I'm just researching recent gang activity and the like. I'm trying to figure out who might have headed up that ambush."

"Find anything?" The orange-masked turtle asked, straddling the second computer chair and spinning it around a few times.

"Nope, it's all just the usual stuff. Nothing abnormal." Mike nodded and resumed spinning. There was silence for a few minutes, only interrupted by the sound of typing and dripping sewer pipes.

Suddenly Mikey stopped and stared directly at Donny with a frown on his usually happy face. "Don? Do you not want Leo to come back?"

Don looked up at his younger brother. "No. Of course I want him back. I just don't see it happening is all." He typed a bit more.

"But if Raph really saw him tonight…"

"That's a big 'if' Mike. People do tend to hallucinate when they've been hit that hard. And Leo was already on his mind from earlier." He clicked on a link.

"Yeah, but if he did see him… that means Leo's gonna be coming home soon. Wouldn't it be cool to have him back? It'll be the four of us again, like when we were kids."

Don sighed and exited out of the internet before turning to give Mike his full attention. "Yeah Mikey, it would be cool… at first. Thing is, we don't know where Leo's been all these years, what he's gone through. We've all got false expectations about what having him back would be like but the truth is, he's probably a completely different turtle from the brother we knew when we were nine. Heck, we're probably a lot different then he remembers. I guess what I'm saying is that a part of me is scared of having him back, of what it would do to our family."

Mike seemed to chew this over in his mind as he swung back and forth in the rolly-chair. "I guess it's like what Spock says." He finally whispered. "Having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting."

"It's not logical but it is often true." Don completed with a small smile. The Vulcan had always been his favorite character on Star Trek.

After a few more moments of contemplative silence, Mikey brightened. "But he's still our brother, right? So it doesn't matter if he's different. We'll work through it, just like we've worked through everything else that's come our way. No matter what, we'll always be a family."

Don grinned and nodded. That was what he loved about his little brother. No matter how many facts and statistics his own pessimistic realism came up with, Mike could always worm his way through them and find those plain and simple truths that could not be broken, those undeniable certainties that stood as a barrier against all the doubts and hardships in their difficult life.

They were a family; they were brothers… and that would never change.

* * *

…_as wanting._


	5. And to wait

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

* * *

**AN. **Thank you so much to Nekotsuki who has agreed to become my help and beta-reader for this story. A warm thank you also goes out to all my readers both on and on Stealthy Stories. 

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this story is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Learn to labor… _****

* * *

"Man, it's dead out here."

After nearly three hours of patrolling the city with no sign of the Foot, Purple Dragons, or even your lonely mugger Raph had called for a break. The three turtles currently sat atop an old warehouse near the harbor. From where he lay, Mikey could make out the glowing silhouette of the Statue of Liberty standing regally in her place on Liberty Island. He rolled over onto his shell and sighed.

"I'm bored."

Don looked up from where he was tinkering with his shell cell and grinned at Michelangelo's sprawled out position on the rooftop. He then looked over at Raphael, whose posture was just as rigid as Mikey's was relaxed. Raph gazed out over the city as though searching. For criminals? For humans in trouble? Maybe, but if Don had to take a guess he'd wager that the reason for his older brother's intense scouring of the city over the past week and a half had something to do with someone a bit closer to home. He hadn't said anything; but then, it only made sense considering that they had never before stayed out this long on a night that was so obviously dead.

"Raph, maybe we should head in. I don't think anything's going to happen tonight."

When Raph didn't respond, Mike raised his head and flipped back onto his plastron, propping his chin up in one hand. "Earth to Raph!" he called. "Anyone in there, bro?"

"Huh? What?" the red-masked turtle came out of his reverie and glanced over at his brothers. "What was the question?"

Don shook his head. "I was just saying that we might as well go home."

"Yeah, it's like totally quiet out here." Mike added his two-cents.

Raph seemed to consider for a moment, then turned back to the skyline. "Nah, we'll wait a while longer. Something might still happen."

Donatello came over and sat beside him. "Is that really why you want to stay out?"

"What do you mean? Why else is there?" Raph replied casually. Mikey rolled his eyes and stood, crossing to the other side of the roof. He knew what was coming and didn't particularly want to be a part of it.

"Oh, I don't know," Don continued, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. "Maybe because you want to keep looking for someone who probably doesn't even exist. I know you think he's out there, but can't you at least look for him on your own time instead of wasting ours?"

Raph gritted his teeth and directed his glare toward the stars. They'd been through this many times before. "Master Splinter doesn't want us out here alone until we figure out what's going on with the Dragons. And he does exist, Don. I know what I saw."

"You were hallucinating. What you saw could have very well been a pile of cardboard boxes somebody threw out in the trash."

"Oh, yeah, sure. When was the last time you saw cardboard boxes wield a nodachi?"

"Hey guys?" Mike called from across the roof, causing them to pause in their argument. "Come look at this."

Raph and Don glanced at each other before going over to where Mikey was staring at another warehouse down the street. This one was very old and the windows were boarded up.

"What is it, Mike?"

"Look." He pointed toward a door on the side of the building. Several shadows moved in the darkness and then went in. Don pulled his night vision goggles out of his bag as a few more shadows appeared. He frowned.

"Dragons… looks like they're massing together again." Even as he was speaking, more men were coming out of the alley and following their friends inside. "This would probably be a good chance to figure out what they're up to and who it is that's leading them."

Raph grinned, happy for the opportunity to let out some of his anger toward the punks who tried to kill him. "Well, what are we waiting for?" On his signal, the three turtles leapt across the remaining rooftops between them and the building where the Dragons were gathering. Upon landing, they glanced around to ensure that the roof was secure before moving to a grimy-looking skylight and peering down into the room on the second floor.

"There they are," Raph whispered, pointing out the group of young men that was coming up the stairs. These were followed by more and the room quickly filled with Dragons.

"Dude, that's got to be, like, every punk in New York City in there." Mike wiped the glass in front of him so he could get a better look; it didn't help much. "They're just sitting there," he commented and, indeed, the men weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. Most were talking with their friends. A handful of them were playing with gameguys, most likely stolen, and one punk with spiky hair flipped on an old boom box.

"They're probably waiting for Hun or whoever is in charge of these operations."

"Then we wait too."

And so, at Raph's order, they started waiting… and waiting… and just because they weren't already bored enough, they waited some more. Nothing happened save for a few lowlife Dragons coming and going.

"At the risk of being redundant… I'm bored." Mikey whispered for probably the fiftieth time that night. "Maybe they're just having a party down there and not waiting for anyone…" He looked up at his brothers with a mischievous grin. "We could always crash it."

"Oh, we'll crash it Mike, as soon as the head honcho shows up." Raph, too, was getting impatient.

Don had returned to his tinkering but that didn't seem to stop him from being particularly observant as to what was going on below. "And they're definitely waiting for someone. Cyclops, over at the door, keeps peering out and I think he sent a couple of scouts out earlier." He gestured to a man with an eye patch who was, at that moment, looking around the door frame to see if anyone was coming.

Mike sighed turning away from the skylight. "This is taking …um …" He broke off as they were suddenly surrounded by about fifteen Dragons. "Guys? We got company. I think they're your scouts, Donny."

"Damn," Raph whispered as they stood and grabbed their weapons. "How'd they sneak up on us like that?"

Regardless of their newly found stealth skills, the Purple Dragons had never been particularly skilled fighters and the three brothers quickly disposed of the first fifteen. Unfortunately, the commotion had brought more of the punks up to the roof.

Mikey smiled as he pummeled two dragons simultaneously with a twirl of his chucks, only to have three more take their place. "Sheesh, it's like those stupid heartless on Kingdom Hearts. You KO one and five more pop out of the ground."

Raph rolled his eyes and used his sai to disarm his opponent. "Yeah sure, Mikey. Now all we need is to have Mickey Mouse show up and you'll be in your own personal video game."

"You know…" said Don, spinning his bo behind his back to knock out the two Dragons trying to creep up on him. "A keyblade might just come in handy right now."

"I call the Pumpkinhead keyblade!" Mikey shouted as he succeeded in taking down four dragons with a back flip. However, he landed on the edge of the skylight and a good shove from a nearby punk sent him crashing through the glass.

"Mikey!"

"Mike!"

"I'm alright! I'm okay!" the orange-masked turtle shouted back up to his brothers. "But, guys? There's like a bunch of creeps down here."

Raph shoved several Dragons out of the way to reach the skylight. Below, he could see Mikey dusting himself off and grinning apprehensively around at the dangerous predicament he'd found himself in. Seeing no other option, he leapt down, landing neatly beside his youngest brother. Don joined them a few seconds later and they stood in a circle, shell-to-shell, with Purple Dragons closing in from all sides.

"The Pumpkinhead?" Raph mumbled, raising his eyebrows. "Oblivion is so much better."

Mike grinned and shrugged. "I like Jack Skeleton."

"Guys, I think we can discuss the differences in keyblades later. Now's not really the time."

As the youngest and the oldest turned their attention back to the present moment, they found themselves in a hopeless situation. Outnumbered almost forty to one, their only escape route was straight up through the skylight whence they had come, but that too was now blocked by dragons. The building groaned from the weight and floorboards creaked loudly. The punks drew in, grinning maliciously and waving their clubs and pipes in the air.

Mike tightened his grip on his nunchucks. "Guys, if this is the end… I just want you to know-"

"Shut up, Mikey. This ain't over yet." Raph cut him off, unwilling to give in so quickly; although, looking around, he couldn't think of any way that they were going to make it out of there alive.

"You're right, Raph. It's not over." A 'shing' of steel accompanied the voice which came from the roof and a few bodies were tossed down into their midst. The rest of the Dragons on the roof must've scattered because a few seconds later a rope was dropped through the skylight.

Although his brothers looked thoroughly confused, Raph knew very well who the disembodied voice belonged to and immediately grabbed hold of the rope and began to climb as the Dragons scrambled to attack. "Don! Mike! Let's go!"

Not needing to be told twice, the other two followed their brother up the rope. They were about halfway to the skylight when the building let out an immense groan. "Raph!" Don called up. "We'd better book it! This building isn't going to last much longer under all this stress."

Raphael glanced down. "Got it. Move fast!" He reached the roof and happily grasped the three fingered hand offered to him before leaning down to offer his own hand to Mikey who, in turn, helped Don up. When they all stood on the roof, out of the Dragons' reach, they turned to face their mysterious helper. Don's jaw dropped, as did Mikey's. Raph simply looked smug. They didn't get a chance to say anything though, because at that moment the building groaned even loader and shuddered quite noticeably.

Four turtles raced towards the nearest edge and jumped down just as the building crumbled beneath them.

Mike landed in a roll as debris rained down upon them. Looking up just in time to see a large chunk of wall flying in his direction, he closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable pain; but it didn't come. Instead, he felt someone push him out of the way.

When the dust cleared, he stood and glanced around. It looked like most of the Dragons had made it out and decided to book. Nearby he could see Don climbing to his feet and Raph was a few yards away dusting himself off. They both seemed uninjured, if not a little worse for wear. He then turned his eyes to his rescuer.

The fourth turtle lay unmoving beneath a pile of rubble. "Don! Raph! Come help me!" His brothers were immediately by his side. and they made quick work of clearing away the bricks. Donatello bent down to check his vitals.

"He's alive, just unconscious. Hmm… no visible head wounds. He probably just had the wind knocked out of him; might've broken a few ribs."

Raph snorted and crossed his arms, looking pointedly at his purple-masked brother. "Need I say I told you so?"

Don didn't reply but continued looking over their long lost brother, in search of injuries.

"Is that really Leo?" Mike asked.

"Of course it is. Who else would it be, shell-for-brains?"

The sound of sirens reached their ears and Don looked up from his work. "We'd better get out of here before the police show up. Help me carry him."

"Oo! I'll help!" Mikey said and moved to Leo's other side, lifting him as Donny did. "Hey, Leo bro. We're gonna get you outta here, alright?"

The first sense that came back to him was hearing and what he heard confused him. The dripping of water echoed around him as did the distant roar of what sounded like a waterfall. There were voices as well, whispered words exchanged between two, no three people.

The next thing he became aware of was that he was being carried and not very comfortably. There was also a deep throbbing in his chest that didn't come from his heart.

"Dude, he's heavy," said the first voice, very close by.

"You're the one who wanted to carry him," the second replied from his other side.

"I could take over if you're too tired," a third voice called sarcastically, from up ahead.

"Nope, I'm good!"

He moaned as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Hey, I think he's waking up."

"Hold up. Let's put him down."

He felt himself being lowered onto cold, damp concrete. Finally blinking his eyes open, he squinted at the three green faces towering above him.

"Hey Leo… how're you feeling?" Michelangelo asked with a funny grin.

"Like I got hit with a semi. You all right?" He rolled onto his side and pushed himself up.

"Yeah, you like totally saved my shell back there."

He started to stand and Donatello caught his arm. "Careful Leo, you got hit pretty hard back there."

"Thanks, Don."

Raph came over, his arms crossed but his smile genuine. "Good to see you again, Leo."

"Same here. How's your head?"

"Fine."

Leo looked around the unfamiliar sewer tunnel. "Where are we?"

"Below Avenue C," Don replied. "We're about a mile from the lair."

"Oh." He looked around at his brothers' faces and then spotted a ladder a few yards away. He moved towards it. "Well… it's been great seeing you guys again, but I'd better get going."

Raph grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Whoa, what do you mean 'get going'? You can't leave. We just found you."

"Well, technically he found us," Mike piped in.

"And I'll find you again." He grabbed a rung on the ladder and started to climb. This time it was Don who stopped him.

"Leo, you really should let me look at your injuries. If you broke a rib…"

"I'll take care of it. Don't worry." He reached the top and lifted the manhole cover. Glancing down one last time, he saw that Raph was ready to ascend the ladder behind him. "Don't follow me."

Raph paused with one foot on the ladder, wanting desperately to do just that. But at the last moment he changed his mind and, smiling, stepped away. Even as he watched Leo disappear into the night, he was confident that they would see him again.

The three remaining turtles remained at the bottom of the ladder until the clanging of the dropped cover echoed into nothingness.

"So… now what?" Mikey asked, more to break the silence then anything else.

"I guess we wait." Raph replied.

"Man, I hate waiting."

* * *

… _and to wait._


	6. Where belief stops

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

**AN. **After some gentle prodding from a friend of mine I figured I'd better update. Once again, thank you to Nekotsuki for all your help.

Translation notes: _Bujutsu Taikai_ literally means martial arts tournament. The competition is entirely made up. _Mitsu Boshi_ is the Japanese name for the constellation Orion's Belt.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this story is by Terry Pratchett (thanks J.C.). I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. _

* * *

Closure. 

It was a concept that Donatello had grasped at a young age; perhaps too young.

As mutants, the turtles lived in a world of unknown dangers. Each day there was a chance that they would be discovered or forced to move. They often wondered what their next meal would be or if their home would be safe from flooding in the next rain. As a father, Splinter had tried his best to give his sons as much stability as possible through their lessons and training as ninja.

Even when they were young, each of the brothers found his own way to deal with the changes and difficulties in their life.

Leonardo faced his challenges with preparation. With no way of knowing what was to come, he wanted to be ready for anything. Careful training and planning gave him the confidence he needed to work his way through whatever came his way.

Raphael chose to meet his obstacles with defiance. He was not one to be crushed under the weight of his worries; rather, he would force them away and challenge danger head on.

Michelangelo looked upon the future with optimism. Always one to see the glass half-full, he allowed fears to cloud his path only briefly before finding the silver lining. He lightened burdens with ever-hopeful smiles, silly songs, and lame jokes. Everything would be all right – so why worry?

Donatello was different. He could not climb his mountains slowly and steadily as Leo did, nor could he plow ahead in an uphill battle alongside Raph. And he certainly couldn't float to the top with Mikey on the strings of one hundred helium balloons. Donnie's mountains were questions and he overcame those questions with knowledge. By learning how to build a small dam he could solve their flood problems. In repairing an old stovetop he provided his family the means of cooking food that was otherwise useless to them. Calculations and probabilities allowed him to determine what would or wouldn't work. He could think up ways to improve their readiness and build mechanisms to help protect them.

Leo's abduction changed things for them.

Raphael's was probably the most drastic change. Stubborn defiance became fierce determination as he trained long and hard. He did not prepare as Leo had, for all the planning had ultimately failed his older brother. He was simply determined not to fail, just as he was determined to find his brother. With an iron will, he grew stronger then he had ever been before.

Michelangelo discovered that not everything worked out the way he thought it should. Life wasn't a game or a cartoon and bad things really did happen. The realization dimmed his optimism some and made his nightmares just that much more potent. But he also discovered that heroes did indeed exist and found one within the brother who risked himself to save them. It gave him something to strive for and the courage to face his fears, knowing that as a family they could overcome all odds.

Donatello, on the other hand, found himself in a world of confusion. There were so many questions left in the wake of Leo's abduction and few answers. His knowledge became useless against the what-ifs and maybes. He could not build an invention that would help him find his brother, nor could he calculate the odds of his survival. He could only guess and hypothesize. He had nothing solid to stand on.

He sought information, secretly collecting missing child posters, watching the news for information on abductions and findings. He tried to link the known child abductors to the ninjas who'd invaded their home. Nothing helped and his mind continued to be filled with answerless questions. He began to experience awful headaches which often rendered him too ill to stand or even so much as lift his head off the worn rug in the main room. Splinter was at a loss to the cause of the migraines in his middle child and usually let the young turtle sleep them off, taking his other sons out to search for supplies and ensuring that the lair was quiet for Donatello.

It was during one on these headaches that Donnie found himself lying on the couch watching the news with subtitles instead of sound. Normally the light was too much as well, but Splinter had found a bottle of ibuprofen the previous day and two of the pills had greatly reduced his headache. After a commercial break, the reporter came back with breaking news that the body of a young boy, missing for six months, had been found. 'Nearly as long as Leo's been gone,' the turtle thought.

The mother of the boy was interviewed. Tears filled her eyes but she remained calm as she answered the reporter's questions, saying that she had finally found the closure she needed and could now mourn for her son properly and allow herself to move on. "It's the not knowing that hurts the most," she said.

And that was just how Don felt. It drove him crazy that he didn't know what had become of his brother. He could not grieve for Leo, but neither could he find any proof that his brother would one day return. If Leonardo were dead, he could do as the woman said, mourn and move on. It would hurt terribly, but at least he'd know and would be able to settle the questions that plagued him. Death he could understand; it made sense in his logical mind.

He began convincing himself that Leo had been killed by the men who took him. He purposely interpreted his notes so that they would tell him this. Once he was sure, in his own mind, that Leo would not be returning, he gathered his shoebox filled with notes and missing child flyers. Sneaking out late at night, be buried the box behind a tree in the park; a personal funeral, his closure. The next day, he grieved silently, allowing his family to believe he'd once again been overcome by headaches, although he never again suffered the migraines he'd had during those long months. Soon after, he began to move on. Leo became a ghost to him, kept alive by happy memories and a pair of swords.

To have his brother so suddenly return, seven years later, was like bringing him back from the dead.

Donnie gazed across the roof top at his red-masked brother, watching as he casually spun a single sai between his fingers. Nearby, he could hear the occasional thumps and yelps of Mikey's attempt to master a particularly difficult nunchaku trick. Three days had passed since Leonardo's reappearance and subsequent disappearance. Don had spent that time trying to grasp and justify what he'd worked so hard to convince himself could not happen. Earlier that week, he'd refused to believe that Leo was alive and now, after seeing it with his own eyes… he didn't know what to believe.

His steady stare became more focused as Raph's hand stopped moving and his face became thoughtful, looking out over the city with a question piercing his eyes. Donnie sighed. He still had many questions himself but until Leo showed up again, few could be answered.

Standing, he approached his older brother, who still seemed lost in his thoughts. "Worried about Leo?"

Raph turned, shaking out of his reverie and looking at the younger turtle. "Why would I be worried? Leo's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"Yeah, but…" Donnie leaned on the safety railing. "He was injured. A broken rib can cause a lot of problems… chest pains, decreased mobility, a punctured lung…"

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm worried, okay?" Raph hung his head. "He said he'd find us again but it's been three days. I never shoulda let him go."

"Why did you let him go anyway?"

Raph sighed and resumed twirling his sai, occasionally balancing the tip on his finger for a few seconds. "I don't know. He told us not to follow him."

Donnie raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you listen to anything Leo tells you to do?"

This brought a smile to the older turtle's face and he chuckled to himself recalling his adamant refusal to listen to the blue-masked turtle when they were younger. "Since now I guess. I just… I made so many mistakes when we were kids cause I didn't listen to him and by the time I did…"

WHACK!

"Owww…" The two older brothers turned to see the youngest rubbing his nose where he'd obviously just succeeded in smacking himself. A single nunchaku dangled in his left hand.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just give it up, Mikey? You've been at it for hours."

"What? No way! This is only the coolest beyond coolest trick in the book. I have to master it."

Raph grinned. "First of all, it wasn't in a book. Donnie found it online." He stopped and Don looked at him wryly.

"And second of all…?"

Michelangelo smiled, getting it. "Yeah, and second of all…?"

For a moment Raph just stood there unsure. "Huh?"

Mike and Don both laughed. "When you say 'first of all,' you're typically supposed to follow up with a 'second of all'," Don explained slowly.

Raphael just scoffed and turned back to the skyline. "Yeah well, I ain't typical."

Mikey tried his trick again under Donnie's gaze. The first two parts worked without a hitch, the single nunchuck spinning and twirling at dangerous speeds over his head, behind his back, and under his arms. But as he attempted to switch hands for the third section, the weapon fumbled in his grasp and fell, whopping him in the chin on its way.

"Ow! Ow ow ow! Dang!" He raised his eyes to glare at his snickering brother. "Shut up, Donnie." He picked up the fallen weapon and considered it carefully. "I always mess up when I try to switch hands. I can't figure out how it's done."

"I don't know what to tell you Mike. I gave you all the diagrams I could find."

"Yeah, but they weren't very clear and there were steps missing. What I need is to see it done, like in a video or something. Are you sure you looked everywhere?"

Donnie sighed, exasperated. "I checked YouTube, Yahoo video - heck, I even googled it. There just wasn't one out there."

"Try a double toss with a backspin." The voice behind them made all three turtles spin around quickly and smile at the newcomer.

"Leo!"

The blue-masked turtle was leaning casually against the door to the stairwell, his arms crossed and a gentle smile on his face. "Hey, guys." He pushed away from the door and walked over to stand with them.

Concern crossed Donnie's face as he noticed the lack of bandages on his brother. "How's your chest, bro?"

"Oh, that? I'm fine. Nothing was broken, just some bruising." He nodded to the purple-masked turtle and turned to the orange-masked one. "Go ahead, Mikey. Try it."

Don scratched his chin, considering. "A double toss with a back spin? But that'll throw off the trajectory and…"

"No!" Mikey interrupted. "I think it'll work. Hold on. Everybody stand back." The group stepped back, giving their youngest brother room. He began his trick as he had before and the nunchaku whistled through the air. When it came time to switch hands, he threw it in the air twice, changing the direction of the spin as he did. He caught it with his other hand after the second toss and completed the trick with a final flourish. "Yes! I did it!" he turned to his brother.

Leo didn't know what hit him. One moment he was standing a few feet away from the others and the next, he'd become wrapped in Mikey. "Thank you! Thank you! You're the best, Leo!" The younger turtle beamed up at him as he stood there stunned.

Raphael laughed. "You should see the look on your face, bro. I'd say you've just been glomped. Alright, Mikey. Let the nice turtle go." He reached out and carefully pried Mikey off of Leo.

Donnie stepped over as well. "How did you know what to do, Leo?"

Recovering from the sudden too-close proximity of his youngest brother, Leo made his way to the rail and leaned against it. He was immediately joined by the others who were anxious to hear what he had to say. "I've seen it done," he replied casually.

"Where?" "When?" "How?" the questions came from all three of his brothers.

"Um… three years ago, I guess it was. In Japan, during the _Bujutsu Taikai_"

For all of one minute, the other three turtles just stared, mouths open and eyes wide. The moment that minute was up, Leo was bombarded by questions, none of which he could understand.

"Whoa! Hold up! I can't hear a word you're saying."

Raph looked at his brother, pure awe and amazement lighting his features. "You went to Japan for the _Bujutsu Taikai? _You're kidding me."

"Um… no…"

"Dude, that's like the Olympics of martial arts."

"We watched a few events on TV but most of it wasn't televised. What was it like?"

"It was neat. Very… educational." At once, three eyebrows raised.

"Educational?" Raph asked, perplexed. "Bro, we were thinking it'd be more along the lines of… awesome?"

"Radical?"

"Quasi-stellar?" Leo's eyebrow joined Raph's and Mikey's.

Shaking it off, he continued. "Well, yeah. It was all that stuff too…" He glanced at Donnie. "Except quasi-stellar… what does that mean anyway?" Don opened his mouth but Leo cut him off. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Anyway, the competition was great; it just would have been nice to have someone to share it with."

"What, were you there alone?" Raph questioned.

"No, of course not. But, it's kind of hard to get excited about watching the top martial artists compete when you're expected to do extensive research on any weapon, style, or person you show interest in."

"No…" Mikey's face was a complete look of horror as he spoke in all seriousness. "My poor brother. What kind of torture did they put you through? Who would do such a thing?"

This caused a round of laughs between all four brothers and for a few moments, all was well. It was like he'd never been gone. But reality came crashing back down as they regained their breath. Raphael turned to his older brother.

"All joking aside, where have you been all these years? Who…? Why…?" It was strange that he'd imagined for years what he'd ask Leo when they found him again and yet, now that he was there, he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. But the point was made and the roof grew quiet.

Leo stared out over the city with a face like stone. He seemed to be steeling himself for whatever he had to say. But he never got the chance. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a strange voice cut across the rooftops.

"Sorin!" The voice was distinctly feminine and carried with it an accent that was easily recognizable to the turtles as Japanese. Across several rooftops and down at least three storeys, a slim figure stood cloaked in black and bearing a single katana across her back. She didn't seem to notice the four brothers as they slid deeper into the shadows.

"Dude… who's the ninja chick?" Mikey asked no one in particular.

"I don't know," responded Raphael as the voice called out again, using the same name. "But I think she's looking for someone."

There were a few moments of silence and then Leo spoke up. "It's late. I'd better get going."

He started to move away from them but Raph grabbed his arm, stopping him in the same way he'd done a few nights ago. "Wait, Leo. Come back to the lair with us. I know Master Splinter wants to see you."

Leo seemed to consider for a moment as the woman's voice continued to search for this 'Sorin'. He turned back to his brother. "I can't. Not tonight anyway. Tell you what; I'll meet you all back here tomorrow. Then, I'll explain everything."

Raphael wanted to refuse. The call sounded again, closer this time. He met his brother's eyes. "Tomorrow night, then. And don't you be late. We've got seven years of catching up to do." They both smiled. Leonardo nodded at the other two who grinned back. Then, he turned and ran towards the edge of the building.

Raph, Donnie, and Mike came out of the shadows a ways to watch their brother bound off across the rooftops. They were surprised, however, that he didn't go far. Rather, he went directly to the rooftop on which the female ninja stood and approached her confidently.

"What the…" Raph's expression was shared by his brothers as the woman turned to face Leo with no hint of shock.

"I think he knows her," Mikey snickered. "Looks like Leo's got a girlfriend. He should have introduced us. Guess he forgot how to share while he was away."

"Quiet, Mike," Raph hissed. "I got a weird feeling about this. Let's move in closer." They did so, sticking to the shadows so as not to be seen. They stopped about a rooftop away, just within hearing distance.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" the woman asked

Leo smiled and replied simply. "Star-gazing."

She scoffed. "You're a sentimental fool, Sorin. Father keeps trying to break you of that." The three eavesdroppers exchanged looks.

"I don't know why he bothers," came Leo's response. "It'll never happen. It's just a part of who I am."

The woman looked at the sky, searching. "You can't even see the stars here. The lights drown them out. Back home there are millions of stars stretching across the sky."

"Yeah sure, if you're far from Tokyo and other big cities. There are places like that here in the States too. Look," he pointed. "There's _Mitsu Boshi_. You can just barely make it out."

"Hmm… they are but stars, brother." She turned away. "Come, we should head home."

Leo turned to follow her, but not before glancing at the place where he knew his brothers were hiding. Moments later, they were both gone.

Across the way, three turtles sat trying to figure out the scene that had just played out before them. Suddenly, Donatello had a lot more questions.

* * *

_It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed anymore._


	7. Give him a mask

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty _n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

**AN. **Alright it's been a little while but here's the next chapter. There's a lot of information in this chapter so pay attention… and keep in mind that not all is what it seems. Many thanks go to my beta-reader, Nekotsuki.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this story is by Oscar Wilde (thanks again J.C.). I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

* * *

_

"Don, you find anything yet?"

Donatello looked over from his computer to glare at his older brother. "What, exactly, do you expect me to find, Raph? It's not like there's going to be information about a five-foot-tall, talking turtle just floating through the internet. Wherever Leo's been, he's covered his tracks." Raphael had been at him all morning, trying to get him to find something that would clue them in on what went on the previous night.

Raph sat down beside him and spun once in the computer chair before planting his feet and standing up again, obviously frustrated. "Am I the only one who got a bad vibe from that girl last night? And that conversation they had was just way too weird. She called him brother. And who's this 'father' they were talking about?"

"What happened to listening to and trusting Leo? He said he'd explain everything tonight. You just have to wait."

With a stubborn growl, he sat down again. "It's not that I don't trust Leo. I just want to know what the shell is going on." He met his brother with a stern gaze. "You sure you can't find anything?"

Exasperated, Donnie turned back to his computer. "Alright, fine. I'll check, but I doubt I'll find anything." He went to a people search website and sat for a moment, thinking. "I don't even know what to search for. We don't have anything to go on."

"Well, we know he's in New York.," Raph supplied. "And there was that name she was calling him… Sora or something."

"Dude, it was Sorin. Sora's the guy on Kingdom Hearts." Mikey came over, a plate of mini- pizza bagels in one hand. "What are you guys doing?"

Don rolled his eyes as Raph reached over and stole one of the bagels, popping it in his mouth before Mike could begin to protest. "We're looking to see if we can find any information on Leo." He turned back to the computer. "Alright… first name: Sorin. Location: New York City, New York. Anything else? No? Okay… search." He clicked the search but and they waited as the system ran through its files.

Mikey cocked his head to one side as he continued to munch on his snack. "Is that gonna work? I mean, Leo wouldn't just let info on him leak all over the World Wide Web, would he?"

"That's what I said but…" The computer chimed that the search was complete and three results popped up on the screen. "Okay, let's see. Sorin J. Baker." He clicked the link. "Physics professor at NYU, married, three kids…" hHe lifted his eyebrows and grinned at his brother. "Sounds like Leo's been busy."

"Oh yeah, real smart, brainiac. Try the next one."

Sighing, Don went to the next link. "This one's a Sorin Michaels; winner of last year's… tri-county spelling bee. It's a kid. Raph, this is ridiculous. We're not going to find Leo on here."

"There's still one more, try it."

Rolling his eyes, Don clicked on the final link. He frowned. "It doesn't even provide a last name… just a website…." With a glance at his brothers he followed the link. The page came up displaying a black and white photo of a somewhat bulky figure wearing a black cloak, boots gloves, and a mask that covered his entire face. Above the photo was a headline reading: "Oroku Sorin voted one of New York's most eligible young bachelors."

The three turtles stared in silence for a few moments. "Oroku…" Mikey finally whispered. This seemed to wake the others up and Raph stood, turning away from the computer.

"No. There ain't no way that's him."

"Hold on Raph. I think we're all jumping to conclusions here." Don scrolled down below the photo. "Look, there's an article." After scanning it quickly, he began to read aloud. "Dark, mysterious, and presumably handsome: that's what teenage fan girls are calling Oroku Sorin. His face has never been revealed to the public eye, but that didn't stop him from rising to the top in last week's poll for most eligible young bachelor.

"Originally Sorin Mendel, his life was changed after a car accident, when he was nine years old, which left Sorin not only orphaned but severely scarred and disfigured. He was then adopted by multi-millionaire Oroku Saki, a close friend of the family. His inguries don't dissuade young woman from trying to catch a glimpse of him. Some even believe that his scars might make him dashing. 'He's so shy and gentle,' said 19-year-old, Elizabeth Browning. "I ran into him last week and ended up spilling my purse. He helped me pick everything up and apologized as though it was his fault. I don't know what he looks like but his voice is beautiful."

Don paused to glance at his brothers. Mike had stopped eating, although his plate was still half full. Raph was facing away from them with his arms crossed. It didn't take a genius to guess that his face was steely. Looking back at the picture, Don's frown deepened. "Guys… I think this is him."

"Leo… Leo wouldn't do that…," Mikey said quietly.

"You're right Mikey. He wouldn't." Raph turned to face them once more. "Forget about it, Don. That ain't him."

"Then how do you explain all of this? The guy in the picture is about our height and it's easy to pick out the shape of a turtle under that cloak. The story fits… nine years old, disfigurement as an excuse to hide his face…" he scanned further down the article. "It even mentions a sister, Oroku Karai, 18, adopted three years ago… that corresponds with Leo's trip to Japan."

Raph's eyes were narrowed and his face was grim. "We'll ask him tonight. There has to be a reason for all this."

* * *

The day was drawing to a close. Splinter watched in silence as his sons gathered their supplies and headed out to meet with their eldest brother. They had told him in detail about their previous meetings with Leonardo and the old rat had felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Finally, after all these years, their questions were being answered and his son was coming home.

However, Donatello's recent findings had dampened Splinter's spirits somewhat. The knowledge, that his son may have been in the hands of his most dangerous enemy, frightened him. Oroku Saki had slain his beloved Master Yoshi years ago and, in the past few months, he and his sons had battled with the Foot Clan several times. Many things were yet to be explained. How had Saki known of his sons at their young age? What had been his plan in capturing Leonardo? It troubled him greatly.

While the others had assured him that Leonardo seemed well and unharmed, there was no way of knowing how he'd been affected psychologically by his years in captivity. He would have no way of knowing anything until he had the chance to speak with the oldest turtle personally.

It was for this reason that he had considered joining his sons that night. In the end, however, he'd decided against it, knowing that Leonardo would have a hard enough time explaining his situation to his brothers, without being under the eye of his father and teacher. Putting aside his worries, he walked into his room and settled down to meditate. He could only pray that all would work out for the best.

* * *

Raphael and the others watched from behind as Leonardo meticulously cleaned his sword in much the same way that Raphael had often cleaned his brother's katana. The older turtle had obviously been waiting for a while on the rooftop where they had agreed to meet. He seemed lost in thought as he carefully wiped the already spotless nodachi.

'Probably trying to decide how to tell us where he's been all these years…' Raph thought. He was having trouble, as well, in deciding how to handle this situation. Part of him, the part he'd always had difficulty controlling, wanted to rush in and confront Leonardo about what they'd heard the previous night and what they'd found online. And yet his other half, the part that over the years had grown into a strong leader, wanted to wait, hear him out.

After several minutes, Leonardo finished polishing his sword and stood to return it to its sheath on his back. He didn't appear to have noticed them, but Raph was sure he already knew they were there. As such, it didn't surprise him when the blue masked turtle took a deep breath and turned to face them with a gentle smile. "Hey guys."

Raphael made a split second compromise. He'd give Leo the benefit of the doubt but he wasn't just going to wait until the topic came up. It was time for answers. He stepped forward out of the shadows; Donnie and Mike close behind him. "Hey Leo… or should I call you Sorin?"

No one missed the slight cringed that filtered through Leo's expression at the name. However, he quickly composed himself and after closing his eyes for a moment, he looked back up at them. His smile was gone.

"So you know," he stated plainly. "I guess it was only a matter of time before you found out. I was going to tell you tonight anyway." He paused for a second, then asked, "Just how much do you know?"

Both Don and Mike opened their mouths to reply, but Raph held up his hand to stop them and took the lead. "We know only what we heard between you and that girl last night and what Donnie was able to find on the internet."

Leo nodded absently. "So then you know that I'm Oroku Saki's son."

"It's true then?" Donnie asked, stepping past Raph.

Mike spoke up as well. "But he's the Shredder! He's like evil beyond evil, worse thean the Joker and Lex Luther combined, staple boy for Villains-R-Us! How could you, bro?"

"Alright, Mike. Knock it off." Raph pulled him back and turned to face Leo once again. His brother's face was set in a slight grimace and his eyes were dark behind his deep blue mask. Raph sighed. "Okay, Leo. Why don't you start at the beginning? What happened after you got abducted?"

Leonardo stepped away, seemingly gathering his thoughts. He leaned against the safety rail of the roof and motioned fro for his brothers to make themselves comfortable. Knowing this was going to be a long story, Mike settled down with his back against a storage shed. Don sat on top of an old crate while Raph chose to remain standing, his arms crossed. After another deep breath, Leo began.

"I guess you know by now that those were Foot soldiers who took me." He looked up and the others nodded. "I never did find out how they found our home. I don't remember much of what happened. I guess they knocked me out pretty quick. When I woke up I was in a small white room, no windows and only one door. It was locked, obviously, and it remained that way for about three days, although it seemed like years. No one came in. I didn't have any food or water or a place to relieve myself… no bed, either. By the time the door finally opened, I was really sick. I could barely move. Saki came in. He picked me up and took me to an infirmary where they cleaned me up and got me on an IV to replace my fluids. A few days later I was well again, but I was a lot weaker then than before, not to mention scared and confused. I wasn't sure what to think of Saki. He was being kind to me, giving me my favorite foods, letting me watch TV. I didn't like it though. I just wanted to go home."

Emotions passed over Raphael's features: anger at the Foot for taking his brother, horror at what they'd subjected him to, and then confusion at the Shredder's actions.

Beside him, Mikey's thoughts were following the same path. 'Poor Leo…'

"Then one day, he took me to a dojo. He told me that he was going to be my sensei; that I was to forget about Master Splinter and you guys and be his student. Well, as you can imagine, I flat out refused. I wasn't about to forget you all and my only sensei was Splinter. That's when he dropped the ultimatum. He told me that he knew where you guys were and that he could and would destroy you if I didn't do what I was told. I didn't want to believe him, but then, I'd already seen his forces. He'd taken me to his weapons storage and to the Foot training grounds. I knew that he was quite capable of following through on his threats.

"So I agreed. But I didn't make it easy on him. Oh, I did what he told me to, but that didn't mean I had to do it well. I purposely learned moves incorrectly. I pretended to be clumsy. I allowed my mind to wander when I was supposed to be paying attention. It drove Saki crazy."

"You were slacking off?" Mike interrupted suddenly. "Whoa, dude. That's like… me not liking pizza. I can't even imagine it."

Leo chuckled, bitterly. "Yeah well, as much as Saki hated it, I think I hated it more. By the end of the first month of training I was so out of shape I couldn't even perform some of the simple katas we learned when we were five. I was miserable. I wasn't learning anything and I was getting punished for it. Sometimes I'd just have to go without food, other times he'd hit me. A few times he just locked me back in the white room. The only thing that kept me going was thinking of you guys."

Don frowned and shook his head in anger and sadness, but remained silent. 'He was nine… he was only nine years old. How could they-'He broke off his thoughts as Leo continued.

"Eventually, Saki decided that he wasn't going to accomplish anything with me the way things were. He got together with his top scientist, this guy named Dr. Stockman, to start looking into brainwashing techniques. That's when things started getting really bad. They tried everything from hypnosis to mind altering chemicals. Some of it was rather lame. But when they started using the chemicals I knew I had to do something. The stuff they were putting into my body was making me sick. I was constantly in pain and as much as I didn't want to be brainwashed, I just wanted them to find something that worked so that they would stop torturing me." He paused for a moment and offered a slight grin to his brothers.

"That's when I started my acting career."

"Huh?"

"Wait, what?"

"Be kind, rewind."

The sudden change in topic had taken all three of his brothers by surprise and Leo laughed. "My acting career.," he repeated. "That's what I like to call it, anyway. You see, it didn't take long for me to realize that my body wasn't going to be able to take much more of their 'brainwashing.' So I came up with a plan. After one particularly painful session with the good doctor, I started faking amnesia. I told Saki and Stockman that I had no memories of my life. Thinking that they'd finally managed to brainwash me, Saki took me under his wing and told me that I was his son. He came up with this lame story about how he created me but I'd been stolen from him as a baby, and he'd only recently found me. I went along with it and started calling myself 'Sorin', which is the name he gave me. He started training me again, only now I was actually learning. I paid attention and did my best … but underneath my façade, I always kept you guys in mind. I knew that one day I'd be strong enough to leave Saki and go home."

Michelangelo smiled. 'I knew Leo would come up with a plan. He always does.'

"Things went well for a long time. I started studying and learning everything I could about ninjitsu and other martial arts. I learned weaponry and turned out to be a natural with the sword. When I was eleven, Saki started taking me out in public. I wore a mask and cloak and we convinced the media that I'd been disfigured in a car accident. I guess I was like his poster child or something. We went on trips and I got a chance to see the world - Japan, China, Europe, Africa, all over the States. I've even been to Disney World… I wish you guys could've been with me."

"Aw gee, Leo." Mikey grinned widely. "We wish we coulda been there too."

Leonardo chuckled and shook his head. "Anyway, about a year ago, Saki started sending me on missions with his Foot soldiers. That's when I really got a taste of the Shredder's world. Doing his dirty work wasn't fun. I started looking for a way out, looking for you guys. Thing is, I was never alone when I went out and I didn't want to risk anyone finding out that I'd been acting all these years. So I waited. Then, a couple months back, I was given permission to go out on my own. The first thing I did was go to our old lair, but when I got there it was abandoned."

"We moved out of that place years ago.," Donnie commented.

"Yeah, I figured as much. So I started keeping an eye out for you guys. I spotted you for the first time a few weeks before Raph's run-in with those Dragons but I wasn't really sure how to approach you. I mean, after such a long time I guess I figured that you'd have forgotten me. So, I watched you for a while, followed you around, and learned your favorite spots." He looked directly at Raphael. "That night you got ambushed, I… I heard you. I was right there. I don't know what you were remembering, but, it was nice to know you hadn't forgotten me."

Donnie and Mike looked between their two older brothers as something passed between them. An acknowledgement? An understanding? Whatever it was, the younger turtles were lost. After another moment, Leo turned away and looked out over the city before continuing.

"Anyway, I guess that finally gave me the courage I needed to face you guys. And… well that's it, I suppose. You know the rest."

Silence passed over the rooftop, broken only by the sound of late night traffic below. Leo didn't look at any of them, allowing them to mull over the information they'd just been given. After several tense minutes, Michelangelo broke the stillness.

"Sooo… who was that ninja girl last night and is she single?"

Raph and Don groaned. Leo smirked. "That was Karai. She's sort of my adoptive sister. Saki found her in Japan when she was younger and set up a place for her there. After our trip to Japan three years ago, she came back with us and was officially adopted by Saki. We've been training together ever since. Yes, she is single but no, you don't want to date her."

"Does she know about your… acting career?" Raph asked.

"No. Karai is honorable, a good and loyal friend. But she's an even more loyal daughter. She would never betray Saki."

Another hush fell over them and Leo eyed his brothers. Don and Mike seemed to have made their decisions on the situation but they were obviously waiting for Raph to make the first move. The red masked turtle stood with his arms crossed and a look of deep consideration on his face. Leo sighed and turned back to the skyline to wait.

There was a sound of metal, then,: "Hey Fearless, catch." Leo spun around just as Raph sent the point of a katana speeding towards him. He expertly sidestepped the blade and caught its hilt just as it zipped by him. Bringing the sword around to his front, he lifted his eyes to his brother, confused.

"Your katana?"

Raphael smiled. He removed the second blade from its sheath and crossed the roof to stand in front of his brother. Gently, he used the blade to tap the one Leo was holding near the hilt. "They're yours bro."

Glancing down, Leo caught sight of the kanji engraved on the blade. Lifting it to catch the light, he was surprised to see his name. He returned his gaze to Raphael. "I don't understand."

"The day you disappeared, Master Splinter had gone out to get something for us. He said it was a surprise, remember?" Leo shook his head. "Yeah well, he did. And when he came back, he gave us all our weapons. Thing is, you weren't there to receive your swords. So I've been holding on to them for you, for safe keeping." He turned the sword, allowing it to rest gently in the cradle of his hands, and offered the hilt to his brother. When Leo didn't take it right away, he continued in a low voice. "I made a promise. I swore that I would find you and give you your swords. It's been seven years since then and now you're here. So take 'em. They're yours."

This time Leo grasped the sword and his eyes passed over it and then back to Raphael. He glanced at his other two brothers. Both wore wide smiles on their faces and he allowed a small smile to grow on his own. But as he looked back at Raph, the smile faded. "You… called me 'fearless.'"

Raph's smirk was one of fond remembrance. "You've always been Fearless Leader, bro. You were just M.I.A. for awhile, that's all."

Leo found himself smiling in amazement. "I… I don't know what to say. I… thank you."

"There ain't nothing to thank me for. You're our brother." Raph laid a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome home."

A moment later, Donatello and Michelangelo were there as well, welcoming him and patting his shell. Just like that, they were kids again, four brothers reunited. Nothing else mattered, not were he'd been or where they would go from here.

For this moment, they were together.

Pulling back, Leo looked at his brothers, staring into each of their faces, memorizing each line and groove. He held his swords, squeezing the hilts and testing their weight. They were perfectly balanced and beautifully crafted. Reluctantly, he passed them back to Raphael. "You'll have to hold on to these a while longer, Raph. I can't take them with me."

Raph stepped back, the smile wiped from his face. "Wait, what do you mean? You're not going back there. You're home now. You don't ever have to go back there again."

"Yes, I do, Raph."

"No, come on, Leo. That's crazy.," Mike said.

"Listen, guys. If I leave now, Saki isn't going to rest until he tracks me down and destroys us all. But right now, we have the upper hand because Saki trusts me. I'm privy to information inaccessible from the outside. If I wait, there's a chance we could deal a crippling blow to the Foot on my way out."

Raph nodded slowly. "You have a plan."

"I'm working on one and it's going to take a little while. But I need to know that I can count on you three when the time comes."

"Of course." Don spoke up immediately.

"We got your back, Leo.," Mikey said.

Raph's smile had returned along with a wild glint in his eye. "I like the way you think, bro. You just lead the way. We'll be there." He took both swords and returned them to their sheaths before grasping his brother's hand. "Same time tomorrow night, then?"

Leo considered for a moment. "No, I've got a mission tomorrow. But I'm good for Wednesday."

"Hey, here's an idea.," Mikey exclaimed. "Why don't you tell us what Shred-head's plans are and we can blow his mission?"

Leo started to reply but Donatello stepped in. "No, Mike. It's too early in the game to risk blowing Leo's cover. We need to maintain secrecy as long as possible in order to deal the most damage when the time is right."

"Don's correct, Mikey. Besides, this isn't anything major, just a routine maintenance run. However, I will keep you guys updated on what Saki's plans are. As for now, I'd better get going before someone comes looking for me."

Raph nodded. "Right, we'll see you in two days, Leo."

* * *

_Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth._


	8. Turn around

**Duplicity**

"Du-plic-i-ty_n._ 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)

**AN.**Sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter. Many thanks go to my beta-reader, Nekotsuki.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this story is from _The Phantom of the Opera_. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Masquerade, every face a different shade..._

* * *

One hand rested on top of the pizza boxes which were balanced precariously on a ledge ten stories above the pavement; the other was idly twirling a single sai as he stared out across the New York City skyline. He knew that he was late. His brothers had expected him to come back with the pizza and their estranged brother half an hour ago.

Raphael recalled how it was that their plans had changed. Originally, the other two had intended to join him to visit with Leonardo. However, Master Splinter had had other ideas.

_It was breakfast time and Mike had made some of his delicious pancakes. As they ate, they discussed what they would talk about with Leo that night. _

"_We need to start thinking about our plan of attack against the Foot. If we're gonna take the offense here then we need to be prepared. The sooner we start planning, the better."_

"_Aw, c'mon Raph," Mike complained as he poured chocolate syrup over his plate. "Can't we put that off for a while? We just got him back. We should just spend some brotherly bonding time with him, you know? Catch up on things."_

_Don shook his head. "No, Mike. Raph's right. They'll be plenty of time for brotherly bonding after he's home for good. I, for one, don't want to leave Leo there for any longer thean we have to." After taking a sip of orange juice, he continued. "Now, with Leo's inside knowledge of the Foot, I'm willing to bet I could hack into their security systems, easy. Once I'm in, I can study their inner workings, and when it comes time for the attack I'll be able to disable cameras, alarms, whatever we need."_

"_Right and I'm sure Leo will be able to get us some maps of the building and stuff." Raph nodded._

"_I only wish I could bring my computer with me tonight. I still need a few more parts before I can get that laptop up and running. I mean, if Leo can give me the security codes I should be able to get in fine but I could do it a lot faster with him there to help me out in case we run into any unexpected blocks."_

"_Donatello,." t The three brothers turned to see their Sensei walk into the kitchen. "If you cannot bring your computer to Leonardo, then perhaps you can bring Leonardo to your computer."_

"_What do you mean, Master Splinter?" Michelangelo asked. _

_The rat took his time in answering. He went to the counter and poured himself a cup of tea before taking it to the table and sitting down. "I mean, Michelangelo, that rather thean the three of you going out to meet with Leonardo tonight, Leonardo, should be invited to come here."_

_Smiles of understanding came from his sons. "That'd be great.," Donatello said. "Then we could do everything from here."_

"_Yeah, and working out attack plans will be a lot easier with more light." Raph agreed_

"_Ooh! And we can have pizza! No better chance for brotherly bonding thean around a deep dish supreme.," Mikey insisted, earning chuckles from his brothers._

"_It is decided then.," Splinter said._

After that, the day had continued just fine. Everyone was in good spirits, eager to see Leonardo again. Mike in particular had seemed to want to make a good impression because he'd gone on a cleaning spree. Donny had also busied himself with his computer, making sure it was running smoothly. When the time came to pick up the pizza and bring Leo back, Raph had been the only one available to do so.

Now, he stood waiting. tThe pizza was starting to get cold and he knew that Mike and Don were probably starting to wonder what was taking so long.

Almost on cue, his shell cell rang. Sighing, he picked up the phone and held it to the side of his head. "Yes?"

"Where are you bro? We're starving over here, you know." Mikey's voice rang through the phone.

"Chill Mikey. I'll be back soon."

"You convinced him to come back with you, right?"

Raph rolled his eyes and casually glanced around the rooftop. "No, Mikey. Leo isn't even here yet. But I'm sure he'll come. Don't worry.

"Alright, fine. But hurry up okay? We're dying in here."

"Will do, Mikey. Bye." Hanging up, Raph chuckled to himself and returned his gaze to the stars. It didn't remain there long however, as another voice interrupted him.

"Actually, I am here."

Raph spun around to see his older brother leaning against an old shed, still half shrouded in darkness. He smiled. "Hey, bro. Good to see you."

Leonardo stepped into the dim light provided by the security lamp on the rooftop. "Good to see you too, Raph. So tell me, why aren't Mike and Don here?"

"They're back at the lair. We were um… kinda hopin' you could come over. You know, see the lair, have some pizza… talk to Master Splinter?" He looked at his brother hopefully. "Ya know he really wants to see you."

"Yeah, I bet…" Leo muttered. He seemed to consider for a moment, looking out over the city. "I don't know Raph… I just… it's too soon."

Raph frowned and walked over to his brother, clapping a hand on his shell. "C'mon bro, we're family. It ain't ever to soon to be back together again. Besides, it's just a visit. What could go wrong?"

For less than a second, Raph thought he saw something flash through Leo's eyes. But before he could identify what it was, it was gone, replaced by the friendly if somewhat distant gaze that his brother had held since his sudden return.

"Alright Raph. I'll go. But only for a little while. I don't want Saki to get suspicious."

TTTT

They'd barely entered the lair when Mike had rushed up beside them. "Leo! Good to see you, bro!"

Leo blinked, surprised, as he received a hug from his enthusiastic brother. "Um… good to see you too Mike."

"Sheesh, Mike. Let him breathe." Donny came over from his computer with a smile. "Welcome to our home, Leo. Glad you could come."

Leo stared around the lair, taking in everything from the huge archways to the TV monolith. "This place is amazing."

"I know, isn't it? Why don't you come with me and I'll give you the grand tour?" Donny asked

Mikey was there in an instant. "No way! I'm giving him the tour. You'll just show him all the boring stuff."

"Mike, if he goes with you, the only thing he'll see is your comic book collection."

"Well, it is the coolest thing in this place."

"This is ridiculous. He's coming with--"

"My sons…"

With Mike and Don arguing and Leo stuck in the middle of them wondering when they were going to turn this into a game of tug-a-war with him as the rope, Raph was the only one to notice when Master Splinter came out of his room. However, at his words, they all turned to face their sensei.

Mikey grinned wide. "Master Splinter! Leo's here!"

The old rat nodded. "I see that, Michelangelo. However, before we commence with tours and planning, I wish to speak with your brother, alone. "

"But… Master Splinter…"

"Go, Michelangelo. You will have plenty of time to spend with him later."

Don and Mike shuffled off. Raph waited for a moment, taking the time to offer his brother a reassuring smile and whisper, "Good luck, bro," before heading toward the kitchen with the now cold pizzas, intending to pop them in the oven to warm up for a bit.

Splinter stared at his long lost son for several long moments after Raphael had left. He took note of the changes in his physical appearance. He was taller of course, as was to be expected after seven years. He was also, quite obviously, very fit. He held himself confidently, his posture alert and yet seemingly casual.

The rat also took special note of his eyes. He alone had noticed the look of fear that passed through them when he mentioned that he would speak to him alone. He recalled the eyes of his nine-year-old son, bright and eager to learn, always watching out for his siblings and trying his hardest not to fail. Those were the eyes he knew. But these eyes… these were different, harder, colder. Behind his dark blue mask was another one, although not so visible. This mask hid what he could no longer show to the world. It put up a front of fearlessness, of strength. But somewhere behind it, Splinter knew there was a child; the same child he had lost seven long years ago.

With a gentle smile, Splinter bowed to Leonardo; the bow of a teacher to his student. "Leonardo… Welcome home, my son."

For a moment, Leonardo just stared, unsure. Then, slowly, he returned the bow as a student to his master.

Splinter smiled gently. "Come, Leonardo. I believe we will be needing some tea." He headed off toward his own room, and after a moment's hesitation, Leo followed.

Upon entering the room, Splinter set about preparing a pot of tea using one of his special blends. It was a sweet, soothing mixture which he often gave to his sons when they were younger. Leonardo, in particular, had been fond of it. He hoped, now, that the familiar taste would help to calm any anxiety his son may be feeling.

Turning away from the tea, he noticed that Leo was lingering in the doorway, gazing around the room in an odd way. Many of the items in the room had also been at the old lair; old artifacts that had once belonged to his Master Yoshi, an old blanket, now draped over his bed post, which had once been used to warm his infant sons on cold winter nights. Leonardo had spent many a day listening to the stories that came with these items and Splinter watched his son's eyes for signs of recognition, perhaps fond remembrance. And yet, he looked upon them now as one who had never seen them before.

_Curious…very curious._

"Come, my son. Sit." He gestured to the tatami mats on the floor in the center of the room just as the tea kettle whistled to signal that it was done. Placing the kettle on a tray, along with two tea cups, he carried them to the mats where his son had now settled and took a seat himself.

He poured the tea and passed a cup to Leonardo, who took it but did not drink; he merely held it in his hands. After observing for a moment, Splinter took a sip from his own tea and then began to speak.

"Your brothers have told me of the trials you have undergone these seven years." He smiled. "I am very proud of you Leonardo. You have remained strong in the face of your enemies. Even at such a young age, you were able to hold firm to what you have been taught and what you believe. Many others, in your position, would have fallen."

Leonardo looked at him as he spoke, but his face remained neutral. Once, this sort of praise would have earned a happy smile, perhaps even a hug. Now, he only nodded. Once again, the image of an invisible mask was clear to Splinter. It was as a wall, seemingly impenetrable. And the old ninja knew not how to break it.

With a sigh, Splinter continued. "Let us meditate for awhile and clear our minds from the hardships of the day." Leonardo opened his mouth as though to say something, but then closed it and merely nodded again before placing his untouched tea cup on the mat in front of him and closing his eyes.

Splinter did likewise but did not settle into a full meditative state. Rather, he focused all his senses on his son, as he had many years ago when he was first training them in this skill. Leonardo had always been eager to learn anything his father had to teach him. Meditation was no exception and he had been the first of his brothers to reach meditative state. He had practiced many long hours and soon been able to find the inner calm within a matter of minutes.

Now, however, his blue-masked son did not seem to be reaching anything. He was still and quiet, yes, his breath and heartbeat steady. But his mind, Splinter sensed, was ever active. It was times like these that the ninja master longed to be able to know his sons thoughts.

Michelangelo had once accused him of being able to read minds for his uncanny ability to know what his sons were up to even from another room. The statement had made him smile. While years of parenting and the heightened sense granted by ninjitsu training did allow him to guess at and interpret his sons' actions, mind reading was not a talent that had been given to him.

Splinter could see that the years of adversity his son had gone through had affected him. These changes in his demeanor and attitude were not ones that merely growing older could account for. There was too little of the son he once knew left in this boy and too much of someone else; someone Splinter had never met before.

* * *

_Turn around, there's another mask behind you._


	9. An Illegible Hand

**Duplicity**

_"Du-plic-i-ty n. 1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. 2. The quality or state of being twofold or double." (The American Heritage College Dictionary)_

* * *

**AN. **Hello… I am here. I did not drop off the face of the planet. I just haven't been writing much for awhile… okay, so a long while. However, I've finally found a way to get this story out of the hole it's stuck in and move it forward. This chapter is a bit different from other chapters and a lot shorter, but I'm using this method to fill a brief time gap, so bare with me. I'll let you know now. Chapter 9 will not come out until December. Why? Because during November I will be fully absorbed in writing a 50,000 word novel. That's the plan anyway. So here you go. Enjoy and I'll see you in a month.

**Disclaimer:** The Turtles and all their friends are the property of Mirage Studios. The quote for this chapter is by R. Bryan Love. I do not own them, but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating:** This story is rated T for violence and battle related injury. Language is very mild.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_If you must keep a journal for purposes of sanity…_

* * *

_I guess Donny was getting tired of me pacing around the lair or something because he just handed me this book and told me to write. He says it's supposed to relieve anxiety or something. Whatever. I'm not anxious; I'm just… stressed. _

_Whatever. I guess I'll give it a try. At least it'll pass the time until its dark enough to go topside._

_But I'm not going to write "Dear Journal" or anything stupid like that._

_This is lame. What the shell does he expect me to write? My feelings? Okay. Right now I feel like this lair is way too small; which is dumb considering that this place is huge. But I still feel trapped. We're all stuck here, waiting for the sun to go down, while who-knows-what is happening to Leo._

_Did I mention that he was missing again?_

_It's been almost a month since I first saw Leo. And since his first trip to the lair, he's always told us whether or not he'd be able to meet with us the next day. He's never skipped out on us either. But three days ago he was supposed to meet up with us but he didn't show. We haven't heard from him since. Something must've happened. I'm half afraid that the Shredder somehow found out our plans. So yeah I think I've got a right to be a bit stressed right now._

_Sheesh, what a month it's been. These past few weeks we've been so busy making plans for our attack on the Foot. I think we're almost ready to go. The plan is to attack this old warehouse down by the docks that the Foot uses for most of their dirty work. I was surprised when Leo told us we wouldn't be attacking Foot HQ directly. Turns out that big skyscraper is little more then an office building. Shredder's got to make his doings look legitimate to the government so he puts up this big show with a fancy building and provides jobs for middle income families so that the public love him. Gag me. _

_So, anyway, we're attacking the warehouse. It's a pretty big place, and apparently it only looks old on the outside. The inside's decked out with high tech security systems, four dojos, and a huge weapons arsenal. Leo showed us the blueprints and pointed out all the hidden entrances. He and Don got everything set so that they could take down the security system at a moments notice. And Leo's got his own plans for drawing the Shredder and a bunch of his head honchos into the trap. _

_So now we've just been waiting for Fearless Leader to give us the go._

_It's been so great having him back. Sometimes, when he's here it seems like he never left. We spend a lot of time sparring and he's is __good__, like really good. I haven't beaten him yet. _

_We also spend a lot of time talking. He tells me about his travels and a part of me is jealous that he got to do so much that the rest of us never could. But then I think about what it cost him and how lonely he was. _

_Sometimes I think about what it would've been like if we'd all been taken, or even just the two of us. Me and him. I imagine the two of us as kids; driving the Shredder crazy by not doing as well as he wanted us to; laughing at Saki behind his back; supporting each other when we were punished; plotting our "acting career" together; traveling, seeing the world and sharing so much._

_For the first time since we were like five, I feel like he's more than my brother. He's my best friend, just like he was when we were real little. We were so close back then. I can't remember what it was that came between us. What changed in him or in me that left us as strangers? What made me take him for granted and not realize how great he really is?_

_But that's the past now I guess. I'm not gonna let anything come between us again. And not just Leo, Don and Mikey too. We're brothers and that's how we're gonna stay. We're gonna fight side by side just like I promised we would years ago. We're gonna beat the Shredder and finally have some piece in our lives. It's like what Mikey's always saying. We're a family and as long as we stick together we can overcome anything._

_Dang, that looks cheesier written out on paper then it sounds. Whatever._

* * *

_... adopt an illegible hand._


End file.
